DeltaWing Coupe Revealed

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First pictures of the new DeltaWing Coupe have surfaced ahead of its debut at the Sebring International Raceway.

DeltaWing RacingCars parted ways with main sponsor Nissan earlier in the year, but that hasn’t stoppedthe company from pressing ahead with the development of its unconventional racecar. Just when you thought the innovative design couldn’t get any weirder, aCoupe variant emerges. The enclosed version of the experimental race car is nowon display at Sebring International Raceway, where the open-top DeltaWing will make its LMP1 class debut this weekend piloted by Andy Meyrick and Olivier Pla.

The coupe features a new tub and wider driver greenhouse, complying with new 2014 LMP1 regulations, and will make its racing debut in the American Le Mans Series this year, potentially as early as the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May.The reason for the closed canopy is ultimately safety. It protects the driver’s head from flying debris and rollovers, while in the coupe the driver will also sit in the middle of the cockpit, rather than on the left or right hand side, offering better protection and visibility. With Nissan gone, the 1.6-liter unit has been replaced with a new 2.0-liter turbocharged aluminum block by Elan Motorsports Technologies.